Genuine front-runners don't have to crisscross the country with a tin cup days before a crucial primary, but the Arizona maverick has no grassroots fund-raising effort like Obama's Romney's or Huckabee's, and no personal wealth to match Romney's. It is a foreshadowing of what the GOP will be up against from now until September if McCain is nominated --a poorly funded, aging, Beltway establishment figure with deep and abiding opposition among conservatives and no real ability to bring in the cash to compete with either Hillary or Obama should he draw the inside straight and gain the nomination.

Even fans of McCain have to admit his candidacy is built on the prayer of converting conservatives and then a second prayer of getting them to open their wallets. Because of the deep disagreements of the past, they won't be converting, and even if they resign themselves to his nomination should it happen, they won't be contributing.

Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney all can make a straight-faced argument that they can tap their opponents' donor bases between now and the Convention. But not McCain. His is a crippled candidacy desperately hoping to lock up the nomination on the strength of MSM-generated momentum against a strong and growing conservative headwind before the GOP wakes up fully to just how damaged a nominee he would be: Bob Dole without the charisma or the money the former Majority Leader had in 1996 on his way to the decisive defeat at the hands of a Clinton.

UPDATE: See Amy Goldstein's "Why They Hate Mitt Romney" in today's American Thinker. The money --both poersonal and in the fund-raising machine-- is part of the answer.

But Republicans who know what is ahead when the Clinton-Soros machine turns from taking Obama apart digit by digit goes after their nominee, and they know the ability to raise money as well as donate from personal wealth is crucial to matching the onslaught ahead.

And I say... SO WHAT if he does! He wants it bad enough...let him spend all the money he wants! IMHO actually buying the election would be like stealing it. He’s not stealing anything. He’s out there in front, spending his own money...voters still have the right/option to either vote for him or somebody else. Just because he’s spending his own money for t.v. ad time, or print media promotions, people still have the option of making up their own minds.

McCain sponsored the legislation which restricts free-speech rights of those involved in the political process, (the McCain/Feingold bill)

McCain is the guy who called evangelical-conservatives an evil influence on the Republican Party.

McCain was a member of the Keating 5 that caused a bipartisan scandal during the S&L meltdown.

McCain had a recall election ran against him by the conservatives in Arizona. Unfortunately it failed.

McCain blocked the investigation into whether Viet Nam and the Soviets were still holding over 600 of our missing POWs in 1990. (This is why many vets that know the issues have no use for John McCain).

Also don’t forget that McCain was involved in the multi-billion extortion racket against “Big Tobacco” in the late 90s. That’s when he lost me for good, and it’s been ever downhill for this crum bum since.

But there was one subject that was off-limits, a subject the Arizona senator almost never brings up and has never been open about -- his long-time opposition to releasing documents and information about American prisoners of war in Vietnam and the missing in action who have still not been accounted for. Since McCain himself, a downed Navy pilot, was a prisoner in Hanoi for 5 1/2 years, his staunch resistance to laying open the POW/MIA records has baffled colleagues and others who have followed his career. Critics say his anti-disclosure campaign, in close cooperation with the Pentagon and the intelligence community, has been successful. Literally thousands of documents that would otherwise have been declassified long ago have been legislated into secrecy.

56
posted on 01/23/2008 12:42:33 PM PST
by B4Ranch
(( "Freedom is not free, but don't worry the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share." ))

(Never underestimate the ignorance of the American voter). Thats what is called trying to buy the election.

If I ever doubt the ignorance of the voters all I have to do is read your posts. Of course, Romney had to spend money to get the name recognition that McCain with twenty some years being on TV every Sunday and all the puff piece in the MSM. If you can't figure that out you really are ignorant.

57
posted on 01/23/2008 12:45:42 PM PST
by calvo
(Your strength isn't what you can do, but what you can endure.)

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